Armed men have attacked St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in the Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting an unspecified number of students and teachers in a coordinated overnight raid.

The attackers reportedly stormed the private Catholic boarding school between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on Friday, arriving in large numbers on more than 60 motorcycles and a van. Witnesses said the gunmen fired indiscriminately and shot the school’s gatekeeper, leaving him severely injured before gaining access to the premises.

Community sources described the invasion as highly organised. One resident in Agwara confirmed, “Yes, it happened between 3 and 4 a.m. The number of students abducted is not yet confirmed.”

Another source added that both students and teachers were taken, calling the attack a “deeply distressing moment” for families and the entire state.

Some local officials said the number of abducted persons could exceed 100, though this figure has not been independently verified. Bello Gidi, media aide to the Agwara Local Government Chairman, confirmed the abductions, stating, “The information that is reaching us is that they have kidnapped over 100 students and teachers. Also, it is a mixed school with boys and girls.” Other community members, however, reported lower figures, saying “more than a dozen” were taken.

The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the attack. Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun said tactical teams, the military, and other security operatives had been deployed to the area and were conducting extensive search operations in surrounding forests to rescue the abductees.

Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Elleman, urged residents to remain calm and provide security agencies with useful information.

Elleman also criticised the school for continuing academic activities despite an earlier government directive ordering the closure of schools in the area over rising security concerns.

The attack adds to a growing list of deadly abductions targeting schools and communities. Five days earlier, terrorists abducted about 25 female students from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, killing the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku.

In Kwara State, at least 30 worshippers were kidnapped during an assault on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, where three people were killed.

President Bola Tinubu has condemned the recent wave of attacks and sent Vice President Kashim Shettima to Kebbi State earlier in the week to visit the affected community.

The Niger State Government, through its Secretary, Abubakar Usman, said it received the news of the latest abduction “with deep sadness,” adding that security assessments and rescue operations were underway.

About 52 students may have been taken, though official verification is still pending.

As security agencies deepen search-and-rescue efforts, families and residents of Agwara remain in fear, hoping for the safe return of the abducted students and teachers.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Ufoma Joseph Immanuel, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Chappal Energies, wanted over allegations of obtaining money by false pretence and forgery. The development has stirred reactions within the energy sector, particularly from Chappal Energies, which has criticized the manner in which the public notice was issued.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the EFCC said Immanuel, 46, is wanted in connection with an ongoing investigation. The notice described him as an indigene of Edo State, listing his last known address as 77 Nelson Mandela Street, Maitama, Abuja. The anti-graft agency urged Nigerians with useful information on his whereabouts to report to any of its offices across the country or reach out via its hotline and official email.

Immanuel, a founding partner of Chappal Energies, was appointed Managing Director of the company’s petroleum development arm in January 2021. Before joining Chappal, he served as the head of corporate finance and strategy at Eroton Exploration and Production. Chappal Energies positions itself as an ESG-focused, energy-independent company dedicated to maximising value from distressed brownfield upstream assets in the Niger Delta.

In recent months, the company faced setbacks, including the collapse of an $860 million asset divestment deal with TotalEnergies after failing to meet key financial obligations. The failed transaction heightened scrutiny around the firm’s operations and finances.

The EFCC has not disclosed specific details of the alleged fraud but confirmed the case is active and investigations are ongoing. 

Reacting to the EFCC’s notice, Chappal Energies issued a strongly worded statement on Thursday, expressing surprise over what it described as a deviation from established enforcement procedures. The company claimed that neither Immanuel nor the organisation was contacted before the public declaration, despite being “fully reachable through official addresses, phone lines and electronic contacts.”

According to the company, the notice contradicts an existing court order. Chappal Energies revealed that on September 11, 2025, Justice J.E. Obanor of the Federal Capital Territory High Court granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the EFCC from inviting, arresting, detaining or taking any action against Immanuel or the company. It said this injunction remains valid, raising questions about the legality and timing of the EFCC’s latest move.

The firm alleged that the situation may be linked to “coordinated pressures” arising from an ongoing civil dispute, hinting at the involvement of external actors seeking to escalate tensions publicly rather than follow due process.

Despite the controversy, the company insisted its operations remain stable and that it will pursue appropriate legal remedies. “Chappal Energies continues to respect the roles of all statutory institutions, including the EFCC, and remains committed to full cooperation with all relevant authorities through proper legal channels,” the statement added.

As the case develops, public attention now centres on the EFCC’s next steps, the validity of the court order cited by Chappal Energies, and the broader implications for corporate governance and regulatory processes in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi State following Monday’s abduction of students from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area.

According to a statement by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Matawalle was instructed to remain in the state and oversee the security operations aimed at rescuing the abducted schoolgirls. He is expected in Birnin Kebbi today to lead on-the-ground coordination with the military, police and other security agencies deployed to the affected community.

Gunmen had invaded the school around 4:00 a.m. on Monday, shooting sporadically before abducting 24 students. The attack occurred less than an hour after security personnel earlier stationed at the school were said to have been withdrawn, a situation parents believe left the girls vulnerable.

Presidency sources said the directive to Matawalle was influenced by his experience dealing with mass abductions during his tenure as governor of Zamfara State, including the February 2021 kidnapping of 279 female students from Jangebe, who were released after days in captivity.

Tinubu also postponed his scheduled trips to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola, in order to receive continuous security briefings on the Kebbi school abductions and the separate attack on a church in Kwara State.

A delegation of All Progressives Congress governors, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, visited Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris on Thursday to express solidarity. Uzodimma described the abduction as a brutal and “deeply inhumane” incident, assuring that the governors would support ongoing rescue efforts.

Governor Idris said the attack has traumatised families and the entire state but expressed confidence in the security operations being conducted. He noted that Vice President Kashim Shettima also visited earlier to convey the President’s message of hope and commitment to securing the release of the girls.

Meanwhile, the District Head of Maga, Muhammad Dantani, confirmed that the community will hold a special prayer today for the safe return of the abducted students. Residents have been gathering nightly to support affected families and call for swift action from authorities.

Security agencies continue to comb surrounding forests, although the state police command has dismissed claims that the girls had been sighted, insisting that no verified information has emerged and urging the public to avoid misinformation.

The Kwara State Police Command has debunked a viral video claiming that the bandits who attacked Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun, Eruku, in Ekiti Local Government Area, have been arrested. The video, circulated widely on WhatsApp and Facebook, alleged that the attackers were apprehended less than 48 hours after Tuesday night’s deadly invasion.

Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi described the claim as “completely false,” stressing that no arrest has been made. She warned the public against spreading unverified information capable of inciting panic and disrupting ongoing rescue operations. Security operatives are currently conducting intensified operations around Eruku and neighbouring communities to track down the perpetrators and rescue the abducted worshippers.

At least 30 persons were kidnapped during the attack, while several others were killed when gunmen stormed the church during an evening service, shooting indiscriminately before marching worshippers into the surrounding forest.

Authorities and community members confirmed that the kidnappers have begun contacting families of the victims. A community leader, Chief Olusegun Olukotun, whose four relatives were abducted, said the kidnappers are demanding N100 million per victim. He explained that the abductees were grouped according to family ties, with the kidnappers reaching out to relatives individually to make their demands.

“From what we gathered from the kidnappers camp, they (kidnappers) have grouped the victims according to their relations and are now calling our people through each of the group.
“Some people in the community have received calls from the kidnappers demanding N100m for each person but as regard my own people I have not receive any call concerning them. So, I am still waiting,” he said.

Olukotun, who narrowly escaped through a window during the attack, appealed for increased security presence and better equipment for local vigilantes in border communities like Eruku, which have experienced repeated incidents of kidnapping and armed robbery.

The rising violence has drawn reactions from the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, which expressed concern that the sophistication and frequency of recent attacks suggest possible complicity or attempts to undermine public confidence in the government.

The group called for a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, the urgent implementation of the National Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and the establishment of state police.

Afenifere also referenced the 2025 budget allocation of N6.576 trillion for security, stressing the need for transparent and effective utilisation of defence funds. It urged intelligence agencies to intensify surveillance of illegal mining sites and recommended engaging military veterans to support active security forces.

As security agencies continue rescue efforts, families of the abducted worshippers remain anxious, with some already receiving ransom calls.

The Kwara State Government has assured the community of ongoing support, while residents of Eruku continue to rally around affected families in hope of the victims’ safe return.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the redeployment of 16 serving permanent secretaries in a significant reshuffle aimed at strengthening efficiency, coordination and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.

The announcement was contained in a circular dated 19 November 2025 and issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Dr. Didi Esther Walson-Jack. The redeployment takes immediate effect, while all handover and takeover activities must be concluded on or before 26 November 2025.

According to the circular, the President’s approval aligns with ongoing reforms to reposition the civil service for improved institutional capacity and optimal performance across ministries, departments and agencies.

The affected permanent secretaries and their new postings are
• Engr. Funsho Adebiyi: Works → Transportation

• Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana: Aviation & Aerospace Development → General Services Office (OSGF)
• Dr. Yakubu Adam Kofarmata: Humanitarian Affairs & Poverty Reduction → Aviation & Aerospace Development
• Mrs. Nko Asanye Esuabana: Innovation, Science & Technology → Women Affairs
• Mr. Richard Pheelamilo Pheelangwa: Water Resources & Sanitation → Defence
• Mr. Raymond Omenka Omachi: Finance (Special Duties) → Finance (to understudy Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya)
• Dr. Deborah Oyindamola Odoh: Service Policies & Strategies Office → Budget & Economic Planning
• Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya: Youth Development → Humanitarian Affairs & Poverty Reduction
• Dr. Emeka Vitalis Obi: Petroleum Resources → Federal Civil Service Commission
• Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood: Career Management Office → Marine & Blue Economy (to understudy Mr. Olufemi Michael Oloruntola)
• Dr. Emanso Okop Umobong: Cabinet Affairs Office → Water Resources & Sanitation
• Dr. Maryam Ismaila Keshinro: Women Affairs → Youth Development
• Mr. Ndiomu Philip Ebiogeh: Federal Civil Service Commission → Innovation, Science & Technology
• Engr. Nadungu Gagara: Economic & Political Affairs (OSGF) → Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy
• Mrs. Oyekunle Patience Nwakuso: Service Welfare Office → Petroleum Resources
• Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olarinre: Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy → Works

The Presidency said the reshuffle reflects Tinubu’s commitment to a more dynamic and results-oriented civil service, consistent with the administration’s governance and development priorities under the Renewed Hope Agenda.